Wedding box #3

This morning the lid was cut. Also made the Seats for the lid. Flush cut the keys and lots of sanding.

There is still more final sanding to try and remove the burn marks on the panel, and the finger grabs. Might be able to finsh this eveing. I can see that some of the keys could have been pushed in futher- there are a few small gaps visible.any suggestions for a nice stain color on Cherry??

Great work. Beautiful box. IMHO ..hide the gap with brass plate or thin wood strip of different colour and it should look better. I really like the wide bevel on the raised panel. Looks like it’s more than 4” wide. How did you cut it?

Well- I have no problem staying with the natural look. What exactly do you guys (roman55, Blake, John) recommend? Just regular poly, Boiled Linseed, paste wax? I am not all that good with finishing beyond what I “normally use” Listed above are the 3 that i have been using on other projects. Please let me know more..

I just about always start with Boiled Linseed oil. That brings out the natural beauty of the wood grain and gives it some initial protection. Plus, it is like instant gratification. I just rub it on with a saturated scrap of old tee shirt and then rub it off with another dry rag. In 5 minutes it looks great. No brushing, waiting, etc. Keep rubbing it every few hours as you admire how good it looks until the oil is completely dry.

Then if it needs more “shine” or extra protection, My favorite is General Finishes’ Oil and Urethane (green can) which wipes on one thin coat at a time until the buildup is just right. Either that or wax, which I am getting used to.